After one of the most active and deadly years in recent weather history, Gov. Bev Perdue cautions North Carolinians to be on the lookout for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms as spring approaches. Perdue declared March 4-10 Severe Weather Awareness Week in North Carolina and recommends that families have safety plans for home, work or school so they can respond quickly when tornados or severe storms threaten.
“Already this year, we have seen tornadoes sweep through several of our western counties,” Perdue said. “That type of weather is almost unheard of for January in North Carolina. And we all saw in 2011 just how quickly these storms can strike and how dangerous they can become. That is why it is so critical to have emergency plans in place.”
Perdue urged North Carolinians to take time now to discuss and rehearse family emergency plans so that when the National Weather Service issues a storm warning in their area, everyone can act quickly and take shelter calmly. Schools and government buildings statewide will hold tornado drills Wednesday, March 7, at 9:30 a.m. to rehearse their emergency plans.
Tornadoes usually form during heavy thunderstorms when warm, moist air collides with cold air. These storms can also produce large hail and strong winds. Damaging winds are equally as dangerous.
When severe weather is likely, people should listen to local radio, television, a weather channel or a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration radio for information. If a tornado watch is issued, the conditions are favorable and a tornado is possible. However, if a warning is issued, a tornado has actually been spotted or appeared on radar. This is the time when people should go to a safe shelter immediately.
North Carolina Emergency Management recommends the safest place during a tornado is underground in a basement. If there is no basement, people who are at home should go to the lowest floor of the house and to an interior room such as a hallway, pantry or closet. School children should go to inner hallways, but stay out of gymnasiums, auditoriums or cafeterias where there is a large roof span. Office workers should take shelter under something sturdy like a desk or a table to protect from flying debris or a collapsed roof. Everyone should stay away from windows.
Mobile home residents are especially vulnerable to damage from high winds and should go to a prearranged shelter when severe weather is predicted.
Every family’s emergency plan should include information on what to do if severe weather happens while traveling to work or school. Drivers who see a tornado forming or approaching should leave the car immediately and take shelter in a low-lying area. A tornado can easily blow a car off a road and many people have been killed while trying to outrun a tornado. Those who are on foot or a bicycle could encounter falling trees, downed power lines or lightning, and they should go to a safe place immediately. The basement of a sturdy building is best. Lying flat in a ditch or low area may also offer protection, but beware of possible flash flooding and flying debris.
Preparation for any type of severe weather also means having a family disaster plan and an emergency supply kit assembled and in a location that is easy to access during an emergency. More information on tornadoes and overall emergency preparedness is available at www.ReadyNC.org and www.ncem.org.